State profile · Below median Poor share

Arkansas bridge safety

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, condition ratings, load ratings, and Poor-condition shares for every public highway bridge in Arkansas.

12,974
Public bridges
45.8%
Good condition
5.4%
Poor condition

Arkansas holds 12,974 public highway bridges (#23 of 52 by inventory) with a 5.43% Poor share (#30 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 5.4% of the state's inventory, against an average of 7.5% across the 54 states and territories with Poor-rated bridges on file, which places it 23 of 54 ordered from the lowest Poor share upward. A bridge is rated Poor when its weakest applicable component scores 4 or below on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, so the category is a maintenance and funding signal rather than a closure order or a live crossing-safety verdict.

Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026

Total Bridges

12,974

Public highway bridges in Arkansas

Good Condition

45.8%

5,940 bridges rated 7-9

-4.2pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

5.4%

704 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-2.1pp vs national avg 7.5%

Arkansas vs national bridge condition

Arkansas - Good condition share 45.8%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Arkansas - Poor-condition share 18.1%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Arkansas in the national condition pattern

Each point is a state or territory in the FHWA NBI; the highlighted point is this profile.

Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Arkansas has 12,974 bridges and a 5.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #23 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold. Scatter plot of 54 data points. 0%10%20%30%40% 0k20k40k60k Public bridges in inventory (thousands) Poor-condition share (%) AR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.43%AL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.35%AK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.89%AZ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.15%CA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 25.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.91%CO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.82%CT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.72%DE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.26%DC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.95%FL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.79%GA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.59%GU, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.77%HI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.53%ID, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.9%IL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.35%IN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.22%IA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 19.16%KS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.26%KY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.37%LA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 12.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.48%ME, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.41%MD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.56%MA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.88%MI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 11.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.27%MN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.44%MS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.03%MO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.95%MT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.81%NE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.9%NV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.14%NH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.51%NJ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 6.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.01%NM, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.51%NY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 17.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.43%NC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.76%ND, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 10.98%OH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.74%OK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 22.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.7%OR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.61%PA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.58%PR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 13.92%RI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.2%SC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.17%SD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 16.36%TN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 20.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.41%TX, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 56.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.23%UT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.91%VT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.9%VI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 29.17%VA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.39%WA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.45%WV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 7.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 18.64%WI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.52%WY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.51%
Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Arkansas has 12,974 bridges and a 5.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #23 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold.

Arkansas vs all states by public bridge inventory

Where this state's FHWA NBI public-highway bridge count sits among every state and territory on PlainBridges

12,974 23rd of 54 higher than 31 of 54 states

States and territories, banded by public bridge inventory size

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · 2024

Read the rank neighborhood for Arkansas

The highlighted point is Arkansas: 12,974 bridges and 5.43% in Poor condition, rank #23 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Arkansas on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Indiana: 19,495 bridges · 5.22% Poor
  • Kansas: 24,894 bridges · 5.26% Poor
  • Arkansas: 12,974 bridges · 5.43% Poor
  • Washington: 8,474 bridges · 5.45% Poor
  • California: 25,848 bridges · 5.91% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Arkansas

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 12,974 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Arkansas’s inventory

State agency holds 57.1% of the 12,974 public highway bridges filed under Arkansas in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Arkansas’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 13.5% of the 12,974 bridges with a recorded original year in Arkansas. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Arkansas45.8%48.8%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Arkansas (FHWA NBI)

Counties (75)

Arkansas 154 Ashley 106 Baxter 91 Benton 410 Boone 98 Bradley 105 Calhoun 114 Carroll 119 Chicot 88 Clark 202 Clay 200 Cleburne 53 Cleveland 79 Columbia 131 Conway 122 Craighead 442 Crawford 248 Crittenden 235 Cross 129 Dallas 103 Desha 83 Drew 149 Faulkner 219 Franklin 143 Fulton 105 Garland 319 Grant 119 Greene 251 Hempstead 174 Hot Spring 222 Howard 116 Independence 184 Izard 105 Jackson 136 Jefferson 336 Johnson 162 Lafayette 72 Lawrence 126 Lee 94 Lincoln 110 Little River 83 Logan 152 Lonoke 187 Madison 149 Marion 65 Miller 216 Mississippi 309 Monroe 85 Montgomery 199 Nevada 133 Newton 65 Ouachita 162 Perry 118 Phillips 101 Pike 95 Poinsett 194 Polk 221 Pope 188 Prairie 88 Pulaski 721 Randolph 151 Saline 231 Scott 198 Searcy 65 Sebastian 331 Sevier 164 Sharp 110 St. Francis 202 Stone 73 Union 289 Van Buren 98 Washington 449 White 322 Woodruff 79 Yell 227

Arkansas vs nearby ranks

Adjacent states by Poor-condition share (lower share = better)

States are ranked by the share of bridges whose lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below. This describes recorded condition; it does not measure funding effectiveness or live crossing safety. States here sit immediately above and below Arkansas on the same metric.

IN

Indiana

5.22% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,495

KS

Kansas

5.26% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$24,894
Selected

AR

Arkansas

5.43% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$12,974

WA

Washington

5.45% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,474

CA

California

5.91% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$25,848

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Arkansas

Six lowest-condition bridges in Arkansas, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

CR 870-H OLD US 63

Poor

Over: DITCH 123

.10 MI E JCT SH 14, Poinsett, AR

Built 1933 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 667

SH 140-02- LM 9.08

Poor

Over: NATIONAL DITCH

1.7 MI E JCT SH 77, Mississippi, AR

Built 1967 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 2,900

Bucklake/Z-Ew/3.10

Poor

Over: Ditch Number 21

3.1 Miles West Of Sh 50, Crittenden, AR

Built 1955 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 360

CR20 -G 911- 108

Poor

Over: Union Pacific Railroad

0.91 M E Jct. SH 349, Craighead, AR

Built 1957 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 174

Cr74/Fulton Co.

Poor

Over: SPRING RIVER

2 M SE MAMMOTH SPRINGS, Fulton, AR

Built 1916 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 779

BOWEN BR. C.R. 244

Poor

Over: LITTLE MO RIVER

.75 M S SH 301, Hempstead, AR

Built 1944 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 9

All Bridges in Arkansas

CR 58 E Plum Dr

Fair

Over: DEROCHE CREEK

0.37 MI NORTH SH 7, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1993 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 342

CR 47-D (OLD DIERK

Fair

Over: WOOLSEY CREEK BRANCH

1.3 MI W OF HOWARD CO LN, Sevier, AR

Built 1997 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 240

S.RainbowRd/Rogers

Fair

Over: OSAGE CREEK

2.0 MI S SH 12 & 71 B, Benton, AR

Built 1997 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 8,300

CR 12/Hancock Rd

Fair

Over: Big Brushy Creek

2.8 Mi N US 82-Crossett, Ashley, AR

Built 1997 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,500

Clark CR 9 Z-B

Fair

Over: OUACHITA RIVER RELIEF

0.21 MI W OUACHITA RIVER, Clark, AR

Built 1999 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 738

CR 18 Benton Co.

Fair

Over: WOLF CREEK

3 MI N DECATUR, Benton, AR

Built 2000 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 136

CR 44-Benton Co.

Fair

Over: LITTLE SUGAR CREEK

2.2 MI S W GARFIELD, Benton, AR

Built 2002 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 60

CR 52 ZONE E

Fair

Over: LAKE COLUMBIA

1.7 MI W JCT SH 344, Columbia, AR

Built 2004 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 255

CR 17-F (911=139)

Fair

Over: CYPRESS CREEK

1 MI SW CORNING, Clay, AR

Built 2005 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 193

Ginn Rd.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.3 MI S SH 102, Benton, AR

Built 2004 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 282

C.R. 8 - B- 2.41

Fair

Over: SANDY BRANCH

2.25 MI. S.W. OF NASHVILL, Howard, AR

Built 2006 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 457

Bethal Blacktop Rd

Fair

Over: Illinois River Relief

2.91 M W Farmington, Washington, AR

Built 2008 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 2,065

CR 505 Benton

Fair

Over: SPAVINAW CREEK

4 MI N W DECATUR, Benton, AR

Built 2009 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 384

CR 122-J

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

BOIS DARC LANDING ACCESS, Mississippi, AR

Built 1985 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 42

N. Wedington Black

Fair

Over: Moore Cr - Washington Co

4.37 MI NO US 62, Washington, AR

Built 2011 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 2,214

ShawneeDropZone Rd

Fair

Over: Creek BR 015

1.93 Mi N.of S BoundaryRd, Sebastian, AR

Built 1939 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 100

Lyles Chapel Road

Fair

Over: Raccoon Creek-Logan Co.

0.78 Mi. N of Barber Road, Logan, AR

Built 2014 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 80

SH 13 White County

Fair

Over: MCKOWN SLOUGH

2.19 MI N JCT SH 367, White, AR

Built 1962 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 2,800

SH 11 S-1 LM 1.56

Fair

Over: HUDGIN CREEK

1.56 MI NE JCT US 63, Cleveland, AR

Built 1953 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 400

State Highway 10

Fair

Over: Scott Creek-Logan Co.

12.3 MI E SEBASTIAN CO LN, Logan, AR

Built 1930 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 3,711

US79Sec4Lm9.62 SB

Fair

Over: SH 205 UP RR

2 MI SW JCT SH 9, Ouachita, AR

Built 1936 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 3,188

SH 5 -7 Log 17.93

Fair

Over: SALT CREEK

1.22 MI NO JCT I-30 & 35, Saline, AR

Built 1927 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 8,102

SH 7 S-6 LM 6.53

Fair

Over: LEAU FRAIS RELIEF

4.71 MI SE JCT SH 51, Clark, AR

Built 1957 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,700

SH 9 - 5 log 16.8

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.58 MI SO OF PERRY CO LI, Saline, AR

Built 1960 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,000

State Highway 10

Fair

Over: Heartsill Creek-Seb Co.

AT GREENWOOD, Sebastian, AR

Built 1963 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 4,000

SH 11-02S LM 5.12

Fair

Over: So. Fork Sanders Creek

2.1 Mi SW US 425-StarCity, Lincoln, AR

Built 1956 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 793

SH 25/Indepen. Co.

Fair

Over: LITTLE CREEK

5.9 M N OF SH 122, Independence, AR

Built 1955 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,000

SH 27 Searcy Co.

Fair

Over: DITCH

.8 M E of SH 333, Searcy, AR

Built 1956 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 314

SH 27 Searcy

Fair

Over: Forest Creek

4MI NE JCT SH 333, Searcy, AR

Built 1956 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 314

Sh-33/Sec-7/L-5.32

Fair

Over: Roaring Slough

5.34 Mi No Jct Sh 38 & 33, Woodruff, AR

Built 1927 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 300

SH 35 S-4 LM 6.17

Fair

Over: DERISAUX CREEK

3.56 MI W JCT UW 79, Cleveland, AR

Built 1956 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 630

SH 35 S-4 LM 6.55

Fair

Over: DERISAUX RELIEF

3.18 MI W JCT US 79, Cleveland, AR

Built 1956 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 630

Sh-42/Sec-4/L-3.25

Fair

Over: Creek

2.4 Mi Nw Jct Sh 149 & 42, Crittenden, AR

Built 1956 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 210

SH 48 S-1 LM 6.97

Fair

Over: DITCH

1.8 MI E OF CARTHAGE, Dallas, AR

Built 1957 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 390

SH48 S-1 LM7.31

Fair

Over: MORO CREEK RELIEF

2 MI EAST JCT SH 229, Dallas, AR

Built 1957 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 390

SH 51 S-0 LM 4.36

Fair

Over: MCNEELEY CREEK

4.37 MI W JCT SH 53, Clark, AR

Built 1965 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 190

SH 51 S-2 LM 2.90

Fair

Over: TUPELO CREEK

1.3 MI E JCT SH 7, Clark, AR

Built 1957 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,001

US 65 Newton

Fair

Over: DITCH

.02 M S OF BOONE COL, Newton, AR

Built 1929 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 7,400

Main St. Siloam Sp

Fair

Over: SAGER CREEK

0.8 M. W. JCT SH 264, Benton, AR

Built 1926 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 60

US 71 - Polk Co.

Fair

Over: Rolling Fork Creek

12.12 MI N SEVIER CO L., Polk, AR

Built 1938 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 4,200

SH 76 - 01- 5.09

Fair

Over: CREEK

2.75 MI E OF WATERLOO, Nevada, AR

Built 1955 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 140

SH 80-Scott Co.

Fair

Over: Freedom Creek

3.4 MI SW YELL CO LINE, Scott, AR

Built 1941 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 650

SH 80

Fair

Over: LONG CREEK

4.1 MI W OF JCT SH 10 80, Yell, AR

Built 1942 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 810

SH 84 - 03 - 8.95

Fair

Over: CREEK

1.5 MI W OF AMITY, Pike, AR

Built 1956 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 840

State Highway 88

Fair

Over: Ward Creek - Polk Co.

W JCT US 71 MENA, Polk, AR

Built 1931 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 5,000

SH 106/Indepen Co.

Fair

Over: Dry Run Creek

4.4 MI S JCT SH 69, Independence, AR

Built 1937 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 222

SH 106/Independ Co

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.6 MI S JCT SH 69, Independence, AR

Built 1940 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 220

SH117-03-LM0.22

Fair

Over: FALL CREEK

0.22 MI E JCT US 63 & 117, Lawrence, AR

Built 1929 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 700

SH 146-01 LM 10.68

Fair

Over: LaGrue Bayou Relief

0.8 Mi W SH 33-Casscoe, Arkansas, AR

Built 1968 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 690

SH 160 S-5 LM11.95

Fair

Over: CAMP CREEK

2.5 MI SW OF SMACKOVER, Union, AR

Built 1957 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 589

Showing 1,651-1,700 of 12,974 bridges

Related

All states → | National rankings → | Understanding conditions → | Retired SD term explained →
Data sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI), latest released cycle. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI). Poor condition is an inspection-record category, not a closure or unsafe-to-cross designation. Consult the bridge owner for current status.

Understanding Bridge Conditions

How FHWA rates bridge condition on a 0-9 scale.

Check Your Daily Bridges

How to look up bridge condition data for bridges on your route.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What to do with this

Use Arkansas's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Arkansas and open the highest-Poor shares first. County list
  • See where this state sits among peers on Poor-condition share. State rankings
  • Compare this state with another jurisdiction on the same measures. State compare

NBI condition ratings are inventory snapshots, not live crossing-safety verdicts.

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Arkansas Good/Fair/Poor shares and county rollups on this page are computed from the same NBI extract as the national boards; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.